The Milwaukee Bucks got back in the win column, 123-99, against the Dallas Mavericks last night as several familiar faces (including Khris Middleton), were back in town. The Bucks were piping hot, and the Mavs were ice cold—that’s really the main story of the contest. Sometimes, the game really is just about a bucket. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Player Grades
Ryan Rollins
35 minutes, 24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 8/14 FG, 4/9
3P, 4/4 FT, +33
Far from the first time this season, but Ryan Rollins looked like a poised veteran star in this one. He directed the offense very well and was part of every big Bucks run. The kid’s a stud. Not much else needs to be said.
Grade: A
Kyle Kuzma
23 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 9/17 FG, 0/6 3P, +17
Kuzma delivered a classic Kuzma performance while still impacting the game as much as anyone. He was inefficient, missed some threes badly, and turned it over a couple times—all hallmark Kuzisms—but don’t get it twisted, he was awesome. His aggression and interior scoring were crucial in the win.
Grade: A-
Myles Turner
27 minutes, 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 3/8 FG, 3/6 3P, +13
Anyone who still thinks Myles Turner should be more involved in the offense just needs to accept learned helplessness at this point. He’s not much more than a catch-and-shoot big in this Bucks system. But he played that role effectively, draining three high-arching triples. His four blocks stand out too, of course.
Grade: B
Jericho Sims
29 minutes, 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3/6 FG, +28
Alongside Kuz, Sims was the spark that got the ball rolling for the Bucks in the first quarter. He faded somewhat into the background offensively after that (which is weirdly exactly how things played out on Sunday), but he continued to crash the glass and compete on D.
Grade: B
AJ Green
27 minutes, 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4/8 FG, 4/6 3P, 5/5 FT
He’s had an up-and-down season, but lately, Green is starting to look like a matured, more well-rounded version of himself while still bombing threes. He’s getting to the free throw line with more regularity and guarding his yard defensively. How ‘bout six boards for him as well?
Grade: B+
Gary Trent Jr.
22 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4/10 FG, 4/9 3P, +14
Trent didn’t have another 36-point explosion, but that’s not what Milwaukee needed him to do. He was a three-point specialist last night—the good kind, not the bad kind.
Grade: B-
Taurean Prince
21 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2/10 FG, 2/9 3P, -2
Rough shooting night for Prince, but he didn’t hurt the team in any capacity. His shots came in the flow of the O.
Grade: C-
Ousmane Dieng
28 minutes, 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4/10 FG, 1/3 3P, +6
Ous’ statline overstates how well he played. His decision-making, shot selection, and shot-making have all been rocky lately. He needs to be more assertive in getting all the way to the rim versus settling for floaters. The youngster can also be too jumpy on fakes defensively.
Grade: C+
Pete Nance
15 minutes, 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4/7 FG, 2/5 3P, +4
Pete, man. What a gem this guy is. What a find. This wasn’t a spectacular game in any regard, just a pretty good one, but what did shine through is how unselfish he is. Nance always plays within himself and the team’s structure. He makes the extra pass, sets screens, rolls, works hard on defense… he does it all.
Grade: B
Doc Rivers
This was a replay of the Clippers game in the sense that the Bucks really did “play the right way,” as Doc loves to say. The ball was hopping. The chemistry was tangible. Milwaukee had the fortune of facing another tanking team in the Mavericks, so the win is only worth so much credit, but a win is a win!
Grade: B
Limited Minutes: Andre Jackson Jr., Alex Antetokounmpo
Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, Gary Harris, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cormac Ryan
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Doc Rivers on what it would mean to him to make the Hall of Fame:
- “It would mean the world to me. I’ve done a lot. The numbers are the numbers. But it’s not, I swear, you know this, it’s not why I got into this, honestly, man. It’s the relationships, it’s the people. Even from the day I’ve been nominated, the calls… it’s in the hundreds of player calls. And some of the calls have been amazing cause I thought they didn’t like me anymore. Seriously, just because you get respect, sometimes, you have falling outs with players, and you don’t even worry about it, it’s just part of it, as a coach. It’s been amazing how many people that have reached out, and it’s made me, again, feel really good about just doing what I do.”
- Doc on if a player or their former team has an advantage in a revenge game:
- “It’s always the player. First of all, coach can’t do anything. I can’t go out and guard Khris, nor probably I could have as a player, so it wouldn’t matter. All I know is, when I was traded the first time, I was trying to give the Hawks 50 if I could, with the ability that I could probably only score 12. I don’t care how much you love the place, when you come back to a place, you wanna go at them.”
- Jason Kidd on what it’s like being reunited with the new, older, NBA champion version of Khris Middleton:
- “A lot easier. Nah, it’s great. We talked about this version of Khris, we joked about the shoe’s on the other foot. I talked to him about ZaZa (Pachulia) OJ (Mayo), that group that were the vets who were trying to help the younger players, and he had a great response. He goes, ‘you know, younger players don’t want to listen to the coaches or the vets, they know it all.’ I think Khris, again, being part of his journey early, incredible talent, and at this point in his career, still has a lot to give, not just physically, but mentally, being able to share his wisdom of his journey.”
- Myles Turner moved up to 40th all-time in total blocks when he rejected Moussa Cisse in the third quarter.
- Alex Antetokounmpo made his NBA debut and scored his first career points! Doc said Giannis was very nervous for his brother on the bench.
Up Next
The Bucks have a quick turnaround with a matchup in Houston against the Rockets tonight. Catch that one at 7:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, but expect a blowout loss.
